Dipper for steam-shovels.



No. 683,775. Patented Out. I, I901. M. F. KIRKPATRICK.

DIPPEB FOB STEAM SHOVELS (Application filed Dec. 15, 1900., (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILLARD F. KIRKPATRICK, OF BOISE, IDAHO.

DIPPER FOR STEAM -SHOVELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,775, dated October1, 1901.

Application filed December 15, 1900- Serial No. 40,017. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLARD F. KIRKPAT- RICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of 5 Idaho,have invented a new and useful Dipper for Steam-Shovels, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in steam-shovels, but moreparticularly to a novel dipper designed to be employed in connectionwith that class of steam-shovels which are characterized by a powerfulcrane operated by suitable mechanism to effect the raising, lowering,and transportation of the dipper, which in this case is especiallyadapted for mining operations.

In hydraulic placer-mines, where there is a large percentage of heavyrocks with insufficient grade and water to move them, their rewith greatdifficulty and is ordinarily accomplished by means of crude forms ofderricks, wheelbarrows, and other devices, which are merely supplementalto a vast amountof hand-labor attained by disproportionate expense andimperfect results.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to equip a portablesteam-shovel with a novel form of screen-dipper or dipper-grizzly, whichas the shovel is propelled along the track laid along the race orground-sluice as close to the work as the caving of the bank will permitwill remove the rocks as fast as they are driven to it by the giants,the small stones and pebbles and gold-bearin g sands being allowed topass through the walls of the dipper or grizzly and to drop back in thesluice for the rescue of value in the ordinary manner.

A further object of the invention is to equip such a dipper or grizzlywith one or more spray appliances designed to project water underpressure into the dipper for the purpose of Washing the gold-bearingsands from among the rocks being handled, so that when the rock isdeposited on the bed of rock previously cleaned they will containabsolutely no value.

Practical experience as manager of hydrau 0 he placer-mines hasdemonstrated that when thirty-three and one-third per cent. or over ofthe loose rocks are more than two inches in inoval from theground-sluices is attended diameter, With an available grade of two andone-half per cent., the amount of gravel handled in a given time by theuse of this device will be more than four times greater than by presentmethods.

To the accomplishment of the objects stated the invention consists inthe construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appendedclaims.

In said drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a portion of a portablesteam-shovel equipped with my screen dipper or grizzly. Fig. 2 is atransverse section through the dipper on a somewhat enlarged scale. Fig.3 is a central longitudinal section thereof; and Fig. 4 is a transversesection of a modified form of dipper.

Referring to the numerals employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout the views, 1 indicates the derrick-arm of a steamshovel ofany well-known type designed to be propelled upon tracks laid along thegroundsluice and comprehendingsuitable supporting and operatingmechanism for the derrick-arm 1 and for the dipper-handle 2 carriedthereby and designed to facilitate the raising,lowering, swinging, andother manipulation of the dipper 3 to facilitate the loading,transportation, and unloading of the dipper in a manner Well understoodin the art. The dipper 3 is hinged to the handle 2 by means of the usualhingeframe 4, hinged to the opposite sides of the bucket-frame 5adjacent toits bottom. From the front end of the dipper, which is openas usual, extend the ordinary cutters 6, and the position of the bucketwith respect to the handle is controlled by the dipper-bail 7, supportedby the padlock-sheave frame 8, inclosing the usual padlock-sheave,around which passes the chains 9, passed around the sheaves 10, carriedat the outer end of thearm l and constituting mechanism for controllingthe position of the dipper.

The dipper as thus far described and its mounting are of substantiallyordinary form, and the dipper is designed to be handled in the ordinarymanner of its use-as, for instance, upon railway excavations; but Ishall now proceed to describe those peculiarities of construction whichrender a steam shovel equipped with my novel dipper applicable foremployment in mining operations, as heretofore stated.

The. side walls of the dipper 3 and the hinged bottom 11 thereof insteadofbeing solid, as usual, are made up of an open-work structure, whichwhile enabling the device to elevate large rocks will permit smallrocks, pebbles, and gold-bearing sand to escape and drop back into thesluice. The specific character of these open-work walls is not essentialso long as the structure converts the dipper into a screen or grizzlypermitting the escape of the small gold-bearing pebbles and sand. In thedrawings, however, I have illustrated the side walls of the bucket asmade up of spaced slats 12 and the bottom 11 as having a latticedconfiguration, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The device as thus far described constitutes a complete embodiment of myinvention in its broadest aspect, since it comprehends a screen-dipperfor steam-shovels and without addition would prove a valuable accessionto the operating machinery of hydraulic placermines. I desire, however,to also remove all value-bearing sand from the crevices of the largerrocks removed from the sluice by the dipper. To this end I provide oneor more spray pipes or heads 13, extending within the dipper from end toend thereof and at a convenient point or points adjacent to the wall. Apreferable location for the spray-pipe is at the upper side-that is tosay, at a point diametrically opposite the cutters, as shown. The spraypipe or pipes are provided with a number of jet-openings 14 in theirside walls and preferably have their ends closed by heads 15. Any meansfor supplying water under pressure to the spray-pipe may be adopted; butI prefer to provide a nipple or connection 16 intermediate of the endsof the pipe and projected through the wall of the dipper for theattachment of a flexible hose or other suitable conduit 17.

The operation of my device is as follows: The dipper is depressed intoposition to receive the rocks as they are driven to it by the giants andis then elevated for the purpose of depositing the rocks on thepreviouslycleaned bed-rock at the side of the sluice. During thistransportation of the dipper the gold bearing sand and pebbles will dropthrough the open walls quent treatment in the usual manner. At the sametime water under pressure is supplied to the spray-pipes and isprojected in numerous jets against the large rocks within the dipper,washing them thoroughly, so that when they are deposited they will beabsolutely clean and free from value.

In Fig. 4: of the drawings I have illustrated a modification of mydipper, which consists merely in constructing it of substantiallysemicircular form.

From the foregoing it will appear that I have invented a screen dipperor dippergrizzly for portable steam shovels which thereof for subse-'adapts this class of devices for effective use in hydraulic or otherplacer-mines but while the present embodiment of the invention appearsat this time to be preferable I do not wish to limit myself to theprecise construction and arrangement shown, as it is evident thatvarious changes, modifications, and variations may be effected to adaptthe device for all classes of work without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim is 1. A dipper for steam or other shovels, and means forremoving loose particles from the contents thereof.

2. A dipper for steam or other shovels having means upon the interiorthereof for removing loose particles from the contents of the dipper.

3. A dipper for steam. or other shovels provided with means for washingthe contents of the dipper to efiect the removal of loose particles, asfor instance, from rocks being handled by the dipper.

4. A dipper for steam or other shovels, provided with a spraying devicefor projecting liquid under pressure to the interior of the dipper towash the contents thereof.

5. A dipper for steam or other shovels, said dipper having its wallsformed for the escape of sand, gravel, &c., and provided with means fordetaching loose particles from the objects, as for instance, rocks beinghandled by the dipper, to permit the escape of said particles throughthe wall thereof.

6. The combination with a dipper of the character described formed withopen-work walls, of a washing device disposed to project Water into thedipper for the purpose of washing the contents thereof.

7. The combination with a dipper of the character described formed withopen-work walls, of a spraying device disposed upon the interior of thedipper, and means exterior to the dipper for supplying water underpressure to the spraying device located therein.

8. The combination with a dipper of the character described,providedwith open-work walls, of a spray-pipe located within the dipper at itsupper side and extending from end to end thereof, the wall of said pipebeing pierced by numerous jet-orifices, and a flexible supply-pipedisposed exterior to the dipper and connected to the spray-pipe tosupply fluid under pressure thereto.

9. In a steam or other shovel, the combination with a derrick arm andhandle, of a 1 hinged dipper carried by the handle and formed withopen-work walls to permit the escape from the dipper of small particlesas for instance sand and gravel, a hinged bottom closing one end of thedipper and designed to permit the dumping of the larger objects, as forinstance, rocks handled by the dipper, means for projecting a spray intothe dipper to detach value-bearing particles from the rocks beinghandled, and means for effecting the manipulation of the dipper tofacilitate the loading, transportation, and unloading thereof.

10. A dipper for steam or other shovels having open-work Walls, andmeans upon the interiorof the dipperforremovingloosepartioles from itscontents, whereby said particles escape through the walls of the dipperwhile I the contents thereof are retained.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature I in the presence of two Witnesses.

lVIILLARD F. KIRKPATRICK.

Witnesses:

E. 0. 0001:, JOHN H. MYER.

